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Carol Henderson on Modern Train Travel with Brightline

Carol Henderson is the vice president of business development for Brightline, the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger rail service in the United States, which launched last year with service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Henderson has been with the company since 2013, but before Brightline, the majority of her career was with Walt Disney Attractions where she headed the regional office in Miami as the director of participant and alliance marketing. In that role, she oversaw the strategic marketing, promotions and public relations for the southern region of Florida.

Henderson sheds light on the future of Brightline as it transitions into Virgin Trains USA with plans to add additional stops throughout Florida, as well as establish a new passenger rail system that will connect Las Vegas to Southern California.

What differentiates Brightline from other trains in the United States?

As the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger rail service in the United States, we are proud to provide a travel option that lives at the intersection of transportation and hospitality. We’re focused on the guest experience, starting with arrival at our modern new stations and assisted check-in with our smiling staff to countless in-cabin amenities everywhere you look.

Our model is simple, we are looking at markets that are too far to drive and too close to fly—roughly 200 to 400 miles apart. We believe people are looking for an alternative form of transportation and Brightline provides one that is safe, reliable, productive and environmentally friendly.

Why is it important to break the mold of current transportation offerings?

Successful intercity passenger rail lines are all over the world. America is 30 years behind Europe and Asia when it comes to passenger rail. There are a number of trends that show people are interested in alternative forms of travel.